A Confused Stance Toward Israel

Christopher Hitchens heaps rare praise on The New York Times for its story on tax breaks given to pro-Israeli foundations who oppose a two-state solution, contradicting stated U.S. policy. “So here you have it in plain words: The U.S. Treasury Department passively allows tax breaks to vicious and fanatical groups whose activity, if conducted by Israelis, would be illegal under Israeli law! (It’s more than a decade since Israel banned tax deductions for groups that devote themselves to the creation of unrecognized “outposts” on the West Bank.) This, in effect, constitutes an official American subsidy to outlaw zealot groups whose aim is to destroy any chance of accomplishing what is this country’s declared foreign-policy objective.”